jonkatzatbedlamfarm

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Why I Gave Up Hatred And Work To Substitute It For Something Better

I’ve done a lot of hating in my life, and it took me a long time to see the problems it was causing me and others. Hating is a lot easier to do when I was young; I just hadn’t lived long enough to calm down and start healing my many flaws and struggles, or think that anger and hate meant I was tough. I learned just the opposite. Only the weak hate; they don’t yet know it never gets anything done…

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Cambridge Food Santry Support: Sarah Asks Us To Help The Stockpiling Program, Same Items As Yesterday: Coffee, Herbal Tea, Rice A Roni Vermicelli,\

Sarah plans to build the most frequently requested items from the pantry families and stockpile them, despite the pantry having limited storage space. Sarah is trying to raise money for a stocking addition to the pantry; the building is old and creaky. So, we are asking for the same things we asked for yesterday, hoping to get enough of this very popular food in stock to last a couple of weeks.…

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Pastoral Morning, Bedlam Farm, I Know Why People Love The Idea Of Farms

I’m learning in my Pastoral photography just why it is that many people are so fond of farms and mourn their loss. There is no such thing, of course, as a perfect life or a perfect farm, but I knew I belonged on one all of my life, even though I had never set foot on a farm before buying a farm a few miles north of this one. When I first took ownership of my new farm, everyone I knew thought I…

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Maria's Good Morning Monday Video, Start The Day Gentle

I’m usually with Maria when she takes the Monday Morning video, but I love to go back and post it on the blog. It is a gentle way to start the week, a stunning contrast to what they call the news. You can see it here every Monday or on Maria’s own very popular website, fullmoonfiberart.com. We are working to rescue kindness and empathy.  

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Flower Art, My Daily Flower Prayer: May We Be A Kindler, Gentler, Country

Can flowers answer prayers? I have no idea, we may find out.   My assistant, cleaning up before work.            

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Sunday Morning Pastoral. Finding Meaning Today Without The Sun To Guide Us. Does It Hurt People To Hate? I Think So.

I thought of an analyst I met after my breakdown, and he and I talked about the anger and hatred I sometimes felt, which had infected my life. It didn’t feel good or healthy. It ate my insides. You are right,”  I remember him saying. “Hatred is very unhealthy. It is often linked to anxiety, heart disease, and weakened immunity. It triggers a chronic stress response and drains mental energy.” In…

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Welcome To Sunday And Cambridge Pantry Support. Sarah Asks For Help With Coffee, Herbal Tea And Rice A Roni Vermicelli. Thank You.

Cambridge Pantry In 2024: 190,314 Supplies for Meals Provided 6811 Families Served 64,836 Meals for Children ______ Barbara is the pantry’s cereal expert; she keeps the right cereal boxes in the right places. She is in her 80. ________ Seattle’s Best Coffee, Dark Roast Ground, 3 Bags, $19.97. Stash Tea Soothing Herbal Tea, 6 Boxes 18-20 Bags Each, $22.30. Urgent Pasta Roni Garlic & Oil…

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Flower Art, Saturday, August 23, 2025. Every Night For Nearly Three Years. Tonight's Show Is A Celebration.

I did better today than before on my 50 percent sabbath campaign for weekends. I took most of the afternoon off to shop and look for thread with Maria. I did the pantry appeal, the morning Pastoral photos, and we did a lot of long-overdue shopping. I wouldn’t say I rested, but we accomplished a lot. The rats are driving us a little way. I’ll try it again tomorrow. We let Bud out of his crate for…

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Sunday Afternoon: Just Breathe. Good Advance, It's On My Office Wall

We drove into Vermont today to spot some thread that Maria had seen being sold online. She was delighted to get an armload of beautiful thread for $15. I spotted the slate painting by a local artist at the same place. I bought it for the same price she got her thread, it seemed perfect for the times, and it is also a good reminder for staying calm and even. Before we left, Maria went out and…

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Cambride Pantry Support: Baby's Diapers, Men's Deodorant, Thinking Of Everything Today, Saturday

Sarah is on vacation, I don’t know where and wouldn’t say, of course, if I did. Although she is out of WI-Fi range, she is finding a way to communicate with me and send the information for the daily requests. I don’t think Sarah is capable of actually taking time off. The diapers are essential, of course, but so is the men’s deodorant. It’s not the most comfortable subject, but in the tiny…

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Pastoral Morning. Remembering What Is Good And Beautiful About The World

Good morning. Today is a half-sabbath day, so I will take it easy, post in the morning, and then again with my flowers. I’m taking weekends half off, which hasn’t made much of a difference so far, but I’ll keep trying. My reading is way behind, but my energy is keeping up. I’ll be posting for the food pantry this morning, as always, and thank you for your support. You are changing lives and…

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Messages For The Soul. We Are Contagious. The Worse They Get, The Better We Get. When Hatred Hides...

Cruelty and hatred outside make me stronger and better inside. That surprises me and sometimes confounds me: today, some more messages from good people with caring hearts. It is the best way I’ve ever had to start the day. It’s fuel for my soul, medicine for the heart. It reminds me every day that people are good. Every day, when those Amazon trucks arrive with food for the food pantry, or we…

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Getting Older, The End Of Life Or A Gift Of Time

Getting old is complex; for me, it’s not just one thing, but many things. People my age – 78 – often struggle with the energy and effort it takes to find new work, make new friends and companions, as their world is becoming increasingly distant from the chaotic, fast-moving, and constantly changing world around them. People often discuss the need to care for older adults, but very few actually…

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Flower Art, Friday. I Give Up. I Can't Stop Drooling Over The Calla Lillis.

My Calla Lilies have become an essential fixture in my life. Like much in my life, they were controversial from the outset. One of my more obnoxious readers nearly had to check herself into the hospital because I keep referring to the Calla Lily as a flower or a lily (this, after misspelling the name altogether for weeks, thank you, Dyslexia).  She said no one spells them that way. Hummph. In…

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All Items, Dignity Specials Today, Under $ Each. For Last Summer Days, The Cambridge Pantry Is Seeking Help: Grape Juice, V8 Splash, Cranberry Juice

Hopefully, a refreshing request for help – Juices, Juices – Grape, Cranberry, and V8 Splash. All three are Dignity Specials, $3 or less. When possible, the pantry honors the patrons’ requests and finds special prices. Sarah’s request for support today: Cranberry Juice Cocktail, $2.03. Dignity Foods, $2 Special. Grape Juice, one Pack, $2.66. Urgent Item: V8 Splash Tropical Flavored Juice Beverage,…

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Pastoral Morning, Friday, August 22, 2025. Rescuing Ideals And Human Emotion. Where Nature Meets Sorrow, Fear, And Resurrection.

The history of pastoral art is remarkably relevant to our time, dating back to ancient Greece and Rome, where poets and artists celebrated country life as a precious antidote to urban excess. Sounds familiar. Those early ideas shaped Renaissance art, with painters such as Claude Lorrain utilizing pastoral themes to explore the best aspects of classical ideals and human emotion. This blows my mind…

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Fine Art: Still Life. What A Cap Says. In A Race With Hate, I'll Do More Good.

I’ve been looking for a summer cap all summer and finally found one as Autumn appears. That’s life, I imagine. This one spoke to me. The only Fine Art anywhere near me is Maria, and the cap is a nod to her. I am extremely modest about my own artistry; I always think of myself as a writer, not an artist. Yet I must be honest, I sometimes view my floor photos as art. I’ve been learning a lot about…